Dead and Gone
by Kiss-This2010
Summary: One bizarre case leads them into a stream of deceit, lies, and love. It changes everything about the team and who they are loyal too. What they once thought was dead and gone, is about to be very much a part of their lives.
1. Scene 1

**A/N: **This is my first NCIS story. Just to let everyone know: I haven't read a lot of the fanfics here, but I watch this show every chance I get. Now, some of the chapters are going to be kind of short, but I'll try to update them as quickly as possible. Like with this one, I'm updating Scene 2 as well. I mean them as Scenes sorta- like in the show how commercials split them up. The bold print is the black and white shot you get at the beginning and end of every scene. It's only bold in the beginning because it fits in with the end sentence. Please enjoy, and let me know if I have anyone out of character! I'm welcome to suggestions!

**A gravestone with the NCIS emblem engraved on it along with the name Jenny Shepard and her date of birth and death. **

Tony DiNozzo sighed as he kicked back in his chair, having just completed the final report from last week's events. The office had been very somber since Agent Lee's death; even he could not think of anything sarcastic to say to cheer up the depressing mood.

"Gibbs here today?" Tim McGee set down a cup of coffee on the other agent's desk and set down another on Ziva David's desk before enjoying his own.

"When does that man ever take a break?" asked Ziva, taking a seat and thanking him for the coffee.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did today...I would have the day after. The man really needs a break-"

"And why would you think that DiNozzo?" Right on cue, Jethro Gibbs came out of the elevator. "Hit him for me Ziva." With a smile, the woman smacked Tony across the back of the head.

"Why did she get to hit me?" grumbled Tony, massaging the forming bruise; she smacked him a little harder than Gibbs would have. The boss merely raised up his bandaged hand as an answer. "Ahh...gottcha, Boss. Though maybe next time, Probie can hit me..."

"I hit just as hard as Ziva!" Protested Tim, causing even Gibbs to smirk.

"Catch them up, McGee." Tim pulled out a manila folder.

"Cemetery on the Navy Base here in DC was vandalized last night..."

"Since when do we get called in for misdemeanors?" asked Tony. Even Ziva looked confused. Tim clicked the controller to the screen and several photographs pulled up.

"They want us to figure out who's supposedly missing." Another click had a full screen shot of the cemetery: all the caskets were displaced and bodies thrown about. The next shot was of a spray painted message on the white picket fence. It read: _You are missing one._

"Someone stole a body?"

"Glad to see you caught on DiNozzo." Gibbs attached his gun, prompting the rest of the team to do the same.

"I guess its back to business as normal," muttered Tim as they loaded into the elevator. Agent Lee's funeral had been yesterday. Her apparent betrayal, then heroic efforts had thrown the team out of whack for the past several days.

"What was the McGee?" Tim winced.

"Sorry sir. Didn't mean it like that...I just thought..."

"There you go again, working without tools," joked Tony.

"Working without tools?" asked Ziva. "Just when I think I'm getting the hang of this language, Tony opens his mouth."

"I only meant that we might deserve a little break," said Tim, glaring at Tony who could not wipe the grin off his face.

"Criminals usually don't take the day off- so why should we?" Came the ready answer.

NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS

The cemetery looked as if it had been well kept before last night's events. The white fence surrounding it gave it a serene look and the headstones and monuments were in good shape. Ziva and Tony walked row by row documenting all the askew bodies. Some caskets had only been opened while some bodies had been completely removed. The most recent were the most disturbed.

It's sad- being disrupted when you're already dead," commented Ziva.

"Yes, well, while you were morning the dead, I was doing something productive with my thinking."

"Oh really? And what is that?"

"Trying to figure out why I feel like I've been here before."

"Don't hurt yourself by working with the wrong tools," came the playful comeback. "This is where the Director is buried." She pointed to a gravestone with the NCIS emblem engraved on it along with the name Jenny Shepard and her date of birth and death.


	2. Scene 2

**Gibbs was lying in the grass, gun held loosely in his uninjured hand, and a dark pool of blood surrounding his body with Ziva by his side, hand on his shoulder. **

"Security tapes show seven men entering the cemetery around 2347 hours. They began looking for one grave in particular, but after digging it up, each man took a row and began digging up every grave they could get to before leaving at exactly 0300 hours in a dark sedan which drives up." The Navy Officer looked at his audience from the surveillance tapes. Gibbs and Tim watched as the grave-diggers destroyed the peaceful cemetery.

"Why would they look at just one grave, and then proceed to tear up all the surrounding ones?" pondered Tim.

"I believe the question is who did that grave belong to?"

"On it Boss." Tim immediately took the controls to the surveillance- freeze framing the film on the first grave dug up.

"Don't bother Probie. Let the master reveal what he has discovered." Tony sauntered in, snapping a quick picture of his aggravated friend.

"You mean, what she has discovered," objected Ziva. Tony rolled his eyes. "That'll be the third grave from the left on the twenty-seventh row, correct?"

"Yes, how did you..."

"Then we have a problem."

"What is it?" asked an annoyed Gibbs from the corner.

"That grave belongs to Jenny Shepard." Tim and Gibbs both looked at them in shock. "Her casket is empty and we can't locate her body."

"They didn't take a body from what I can tell from surveillance- I'll send it to Abbs to make sure, but-" Before he could finish his sentence, Gibbs was already out the door. Taking the stairs two at a time, the older man rushed out of the building to the cemetery next door. Ziva made a move to follow, but Tony stopped her.

"Let the man investigate for himself. He didn't take any time off after her death either." She nodded, eyes training to the rolling footage of her boss storming to the empty casket they had all watched be lowered into that very ground.

"Guys? We could be looking at something a little bigger than grave-robbers here." Tim zoomed in on a shot of the men opening Jenny Shepard's casket. "The reason why our suspects kept looking is because there was no body when they looked." He zoomed in even further on the empty box.

"What? We all watched the burial! There is no way anyone could have stolen the body between then and now!" Tony shoved him out of the way to get a closer look.

"Unless her body never got into the coffin," said Ziva in a stomach-dropping voice. She remembered that day too well. The Director had ordered them not to follow her and by the time they could locate her, she had been gunned down in an abandoned diner in the middle of no where. She will never forget the regret in Tony's voice when he picked up Gibbs' call. She was dead and gone. They had released the body to an ambulance driver on Gibbs' instructions and Ducky had done the autopsy. But from there- who knew what happened to the body.

"If we lost her body…" started Tim.

"She is going to come back and haunt us," finished Tony, with a wince. Tim rolled his eyes.

"That's not what I meant." A dark moment of silence fell upon them. They watched as Gibbs took out a cell phone and started dialing. "He did better than I thought."

"About Shepard?" Tim nodded.

"I always thought of them as partners…in and out of work."

"That's absurd-Gibbs' rule number twelve-"

"Never date a coworker. Got it." A strange looked passed over Tony's face, but only Ziva noticed and for once, never said a word. "Still, they had a relationship, whether or not it was a romantic one. I could see him not grieving for Lee, but her?"

"You didn't have to tell him she was dead," said Tony in a quiet voice. "To see him look at where her body was…" Again their attention turned to the man outside arguing on his phone. All of a sudden, Gibbs froze, and in one movement, dropped the phone and pulled his gun.

"Something's wrong, let's go." The three rushed out of the door and down the stairs only to hear three gunshots and a car screeching away.

NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS

Gibbs pulled out his cell phone, still at a loss for what to do. Finally, he hit speed dial and waited.

"Jethro! What can I do for you? I thought you wouldn't need me today." Came a cheerful voice over the phone.

"They dug up her grave, Ducky."

"They- what? Whose...?"

"Jens. They know." Gibbs waited in silence as the other man took in the information. It was in this moment he heard the click of a gun. As fast as he could, he dropped the phone and pulled his gun, whipping around to face his attacker. Before him were two men in ski masks and black coats.

"Know what Mr. Gibbs?" The taller man had a thick accent. Gibbs tried to wrap his finger around the trigger, but the stiff bandage kept him from pulling it. "Tell your girlfriend to come out of hiding."

Without a seconds notice, the other man pulled the trigger of his 9mm. Gibbs managed to switch hands with the gun and hit the first man in the back as he was falling. The pain however was starting to take over and his second shot missed. Two men jumped out of a car and helped the injured man in to the vehicle and it sped off just as Tony, Ziva, and Tim came running into view.

As Tim took in the license plate number Tony turned to his boss, but Ziva had already beaten him there. Gibbs was lying in the grass, his gun held loosely in his uninjured hand, and a dark pool of blood surrounding his body with Ziva by his side, hand on his shoulder.


	3. Scene 3

**Tim and Tony stood in the doorway, eyes wide in shock and mouths dropped in disbelief. **

Tony called in the officer down as Ziva tried to stop the bleeding. Gibbs had taken a bullet to the left shoulder, but was still conscious and protesting everything she was doing.

"Sir, this would be easier if you just lay still."

"Get off me and go after those guys," he grumbled.

"By the time we got down here, they had already driven off. I think McGee got a license number."

"It'll be a fake." Ziva rolled her eyes. Tim hurried over to them.

"Tony just called in the ambulance."

"I am not going to the hospital," groaned Gibbs. Tim and Ziva just exchanged a look. It was not long before the ambulance rolled up.

NCIS - NCIS - NCIS - NCIS - NCIS

"Is he alive?" Abby rushed into the hospital waiting room, spotting Ziva immediately. The two of them were getting quite a few stares: Ziva was covered in blood and the gun on her hip was not comforting. Abby was in a plaid skirt with black tights and a white shirt with a skull on the back, along with her customary chains.

"Yes, Abby, he'll be fine," consoled the other woman.

"Ducky was on the phone with him when it happened and we were so worried and then Tony called and-" Ziva held up a hand to stop her and was instantly pulled into a hug. "Ducky said he would be here soon, but he had to do something for Gibbs first." Abby was wringing a black lace handkerchief in her hands.

"They just took him in to retrieve the bullet; the doctor is going to come and get me when they are finished." For the next few minutes, Ziva relayed the day's events to her friend. About thirty minutes into their conversation, the doctor came to bring them back to Gibbs' room.

"I'd appreciate it if maybe you could perhaps convince Agent Gibbs to stay the night so we can monitor him," suggested the doctor with a bit of hope. His patient was not all that cooperative.

"Not a chance," replied Ziva and Abby together. Abby all but pounced on Gibbs when they finally got to the room.

"Gibbs! You're alive!" She perched herself on the edge of the bed and reached for a hug before quickly stopping herself. In a small voice she asked, "Can I hug you?"

"Go ahead. I've got plenty of painkillers in me." Abby squealed in delight, planting a kiss on the older man's forehead and wrapping him in a hug. "Is Ducky on his way?"

"I believe so," was Ziva's answer.

"So when am I getting out of here?" The hospital entourage wasn't doing much for him. The hospital gown, IVs, and white bandage made him look weak. There was no question why he wanted to be out of there so soon.

"I believe that is up to the doctor, Jethro." Dr. Mallard stood in the doorway. On his arm was a blonde woman in a black duster with a matching hat and very stylish glasses on. Her look made Ziva a bit uncomfortable- it was if she was trying to hide her face.

"What are you do-" started Gibbs, who tried to get out of bed, but Abby and Ziva each took a shoulder and forced him back down.

"Jethro, Ziva, Abigail, I would like you to meet my sister, Carolina Mallard," continued Ducky, as if Gibbs hadn't spoken. Carolina was shutting the door as he spoke.

"I didn't know you had a sister," remarked Abby, suspiciously. "Which is weird because I've read your personal file."

"That's because he doesn't have a sister," scolded Gibbs. "I can't believe you brought her here!"

"Well what else was I supposed to do with her? Leave her at NCIS?"

"You act like I'm not here," the mystery woman spoke for the first time, sounding quite offended. She easily moved to the chair at the base of Gibbs' bed. Abby gave her a rather unpleasant look. Gibbs only rolled his eyes.

"Take off the wig. They'll find out soon enough." Gibbs still looked angry about something, but Ziva couldn't quite figure out what it was. The woman calmly reached up and pulled off the blonde wig, letter her naturally red hair tumble down. Once the distracting glasses were off, there was no questioning who she was.

"Director Shepard?" asked Abby in disbelief. Jennifer Shepard nodded and welcomed the hug from her former co-worker. The lab rat showed no signs of letting go to soon either.

"No," Ziva breathed. "You're dead! I found you; lying there…I was there. You are dead."

"Ziva let us explain what is going on-" began Ducky. Jenny looked concerned, but Gibbs showed no sign of regret for this secret.

"I don't believe it. I can't believe you didn't trust us with this!" Ziva looked downright outraged. Abby reached her hand out, only to have it swatted away. Finally Gibbs spoke up to his agent.

"Slow down, David. It had nothing to do with trust."

"Well then you don't have an excuse. I believed she died on my watch- that it was my fault! Her life was my responsibility!" Ziva stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Not paying attention to where she was going, she ran head on into Tony and Tim.

"Slow down, Firecracker," joked Tony. "Did the boss man kick you out?"

"Go see for yourself or did you know? I'm sure they trusted you with their little secret!" She shoved him hard in the chest. "How could you not tell me?" With that she threw open the doors to the stairs and plowed down them, leaving a very confused Tim and a painful bruise on Tony.

"What in the world got into her?"

"I was about to ask you the same question." Tim shrugged and pointed out the hospital room Ziva had just come from.

NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS

The occupants of the room looked up at a knock on the door. Tim's voice was heard from the other side, so Ducky let them in. A small shout caused Jenny to look up from her and Abby's conversation. Tim and Tony stood in the doorway, eyes wide in shock and mouths dropped in disbelief.

**A/N: **Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews! I promise at some point I will read your stories if you have any to return the favor. Hopefully the next chapter will have a little more excitement in it- you know gun fights; hostage situations; the more NCIS deal.


	4. Scene 4

**Gibbs closed his phone, looking wearily at Jenny, Ducky, Abby, Tim, Tony, and Ziva. **

Ducky led the now blonde Jenny down the hallways of NCIS. Gibbs was scolding the entire time- he still thought it was risky bringing her here; especially since her protection depended on him and McGee. Tony and Ziva, his two best shots, were refusing to speak to them. Ziva's exit had been a bit more extravagant than Tony's had been. The latter took one look at Jenny and left without a word. Now they were both sitting at their desks, giving him the silent treatment.

Gibbs popped a painkiller into his mouth and readjusted the annoying sling. If there was one thing he passionately hated, it was being injured. He still could not believe he had managed to get shot twice in one week. Granted, the first had only been his finger, but it was that injury that kept him from properly handling a gun. Besides the sling, the other thing bothering him was the woman standing at his desk.

"This is ridiculous," said 'Carolina' in a very Director Shepard voice, giving him that 'why aren't you doing something' look. "I guess we should fill them in now...is there anywhere quiet we can go? Besides the elevator?"

"You know you're not my boss anymore right?" retorted Gibbs at the woman's command. Never-the-less, he ordered Tim to disable the recording devises in one of the interrogation rooms. McGee went straight off without question. "David, DiNozzo! With me, now." Gibbs and Jenny stood up and began their walk to the elevator. When they realized they weren't being followed, both of them gave their best irritated look.

"I'm still typing up that report for you, Boss," said Tony innocently.

"I've got papers to file. Wouldn't want to get behind on that now would we?" Ziva had more bitterness in her voice.

"Fine," shrugged Gibbs. "Carolina, if you could fetch your brother and Abby. McGee will meet us there- it's time I told them the truth. DiNozzo and David can finish their paperwork."

"Do you think we can trust them with such secrets?" asked Jenny in a low voice, baiting the other two agents.

"Secrets?" spoke Tony with a bit of interest. Upon seeing the look on Ziva's face, however, he quickly changed his mind. "Don't you mean lies?" Again, Gibbs shrugged and ushered Jenny to the elevator. Right before entering it, he turned on his heal.

"I might have said I was sorry." And with that, he shut the doors. Ziva and Tony exchanged a look before jumping up and rushing

NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS

Gibbs, Abby, Ducky, and Jenny were already in the interrogation room when Ziva and Tony arrived. McGee came in moments later to report that they had all the privacy in the world now. As soon as the door was secured, Gibbs began speaking.

"I guess we should start at the beginning. Jenny knew that someone was after her and, or me when Decker turned up dead. He worked with us in Europe. However, murder was going to be hard to prove if the right people wanted him, us, dead. We know someone in NCIS is a rat, but we still have no idea who-"

"You thought it was one of us?" Ziva was still angry about not being told. She was leaning up against the wall, away from the rest of the group.

"Let me talk. We knew it wasn't any of you because you knew next to nothing about the Paris Mission." Gibbs paused to glare at the smirk Tony was wearing when he mentioned Paris. "Anyway, Jenny knew they would be coming after us. The plan was she was going to disappear after a shooting; apparently dead. Some old friends of ours were supposed to pose as EMTs and pronounce her dead and then take her back to a safe house. And then something went wrong." Gibbs stopped, waiting for Jenny to continue- their audience looked on in curiosity and silence.

With a deep breath, she began to speak. "I met up with Mike Franks in L.A., just like we planned. However, we underestimated the other side. We did everything we could to follow up on Decker's death without looking suspicious, finally leading us to an old diner. When we got there, we thought it would take longer for them to find us. Franks went around back for some water when they ambushed."

"He left you?" asked Abby, shocked.

"Not intentionally; it ended up saving my life. They came in two floods. The first group came through the front door where I was able to shoot three of them before taking a shot to my left hip. The second group was almost the deadly one. I managed to get one round off before one of them hit me in the right shoulder." Without hesitation she pulled down the sleeve of her shirt slightly so they could see her now healed wound. "I went down and began losing blood quickly. I guess Mike came in after that and finished the rest of them off. I blacked out shortly after that."

"I guess that is when Tony and Ziva came in," picked up Gibbs. "I don't have any clue how they missed her pulse," he said scolding, "but it worked out for the better."

Suddenly, the lights flickered in the room, sending them all for their guns, excluding Ducky and Abby, pointing them towards the door. They all fell silent with anticipation. The silence was broken shortly when Gibbs' phone rang.

"It's Cynthia," he muttered before picking it up and putting it on speakerphone. "Gibbs."

_"Hello? I-I have a message for you,"_ came her shaking voice._ "They say if you don't give them Jennifer Shepard in two hours, they are going to kill Vance."_

"Cynthia, are you okay?" There was a slight pause and shuffle. An undistinguishable voice growled something in the background.

_"He's got a gun to my head_," came her nervous reply_. "They say that if Shepard is listening to this, she needs to turn herself in and not let anyone else die...But I have faith in the Director. She shouldn't worry about me...nor anyone else down there. It's him you need-"_ Another scuffle was heard as Cynthia was cut off. Jenny made an odd movement as if to talk into the phone, but Ducky pulled her back on Gibbs' look.

"Who is dead?" A gunshot rang out, echoing from the phone and the building.

_"There is your first death," _came the male voice from earlier; he had a heavy accent just like the one who had confronted and shot Gibbs. _"Two hours or you will be looking for a new Director of NCIS."_ Gibbs closed his phone, looking wearily at Jenny, Ducky, Abby, Tim, Tony, and Ziva.

**A/N:** Yea, an update! Sorry guys, my life is pretty hectic right now. I do know where this is going so never fear, I will never abandon it. However, you might not get another update until after Christmas and the New Year, partly because I won't have a lot of time to write, but also because I need to update my other two stories. *winces*

Also: I realized that I pretty much call everyone by their first names except for Gibbs. I don't know why I do that. So, would it bother anyone terribly if I randomly switched to calling him Jethro in more….personal scenes?? Anyway. Let me know. Yall have been wonderful reviewers!


	5. Scene 5

**Gibbs handed Jennifer the extra gun in his hand and gently wiped away the tear that was falling down the side of her face, his eyes avoiding the body lying behind her. **

"We need a way to access the security cameras in and around the building; most importantly Director Vance's office," ordered Gibbs.

"My computer is at my desk," stated Timothy.

"We can use my office," offered Abby, using a black handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Though Abby and Cynthia were never really around each other much, the goth still had a sadness for the loss of one of their own.

"Too many windows," muttered Jennifer, recalling too many close calls in Abby's lab.

"We're going to autopsy," said Gibbs. He began removing his sling to be able to yield a gun correctly.

"Only one exit," pointed out Tony skeptically.

"Only one entrance," contradicted Ziva.

"I can get my laptop and meet you down there," said Tim. He could still access the mainstream surveillance from Ducky's lab.

"We need two different groups; one to go directly to Autopsy and the other with McGee to the bullpen. Ziva you take Jenny and Ducky with Tony following. Abby with go with McGee and me." When nobody moved and Tony began to protest, Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Tow agents in either group. That way no one gets stuck with only one gun."

"I can shoot a gun," objected Jenny, sounding put out at the fact Gibbs didn't think about her.

"Show me the gun." Gibbs eyed her hip where her holster would regularly be. "We'll go first and you four follow ten minutes later and meet us in Ducky's lab." Gibbs motioned for McGee and Abby to follow him. Guns drawn they exited into the long hallway. Once both ways were clear they started towards the bullpen. However, before they got around the corner, Ducky came out of the interrogation room.

"What part of ten minutes don't you understand?" hissed Gibbs.

"I need to speak with you." Seeing the glare coming up in his eyes, Ducky added, "And it can't wait."

"What?"

"I wanted to remind you how you felt when you got the phone call that she was dead; how you acted when she left and we thought we'd never see her for years-"

"Ducky," warned Gibbs. Tim and Abby looked highly uncomfortable. Gibbs had always kept any personal feelings to himself and this was over stepping boundaries.

"Stop running away from this, Jethro. She might not come out of this alive this time," finished Dr. Mallard. He gave his friend and meaningful stare and walked back into the room. Gibbs turned to leave, but Abby didn't move. She merely looked at him and back at the door.

"Damn it!" Gibbs ripped open the door to a shocked three people (not including Ducky). Ignoring Tony's question, he walked right up to Jenny so that they were face to face. When she stepped back looking at him like he was crazy, he placed his good hand on the small of her back forcing her to stop. Blue eyes met green with a lost, desperate look. Without hesitation Jethro kissed her firmly on her lips, only to release suddenly.

"Come back to me," he whispered softly in her ear. Then, as suddenly as he had come, he left again. Tim rushed after him, pulling along a glowing Abigail.

None of them talked as they carefully made their way to their desks. The building was like a ghost town. Everything seemed normal. The copier was still going, cups of coffee sat on a table in a conference room. Some radio was softly playing music. The eeriness of the scene kept them in a prolonged silence. Tim grabbed his computer as Abby gathered other electronic necessities.

"This is weird," whispered Abby. Tim eyed her eccentric attire and rolled his eyes. "Even for me this is creepy. Its like they all just left without us knowing."

"How does a whole Navy building evacuate without us knowing?"

"That's what we're going to figure out when we get the video. Let's go." The team leader's eyes swept the large area, resting on the entrance to the director's office. "Do you find something odd about this room?"

"Meaning besides the lack of people?" Tim flinched at his boss's annoyed stare. He too gave a quick glance to the room before figuring out what Gibbs meant. "There is no one guarding the Director's door." Gibbs nodded, walking quickly to the stairs. Abby went next and Tim took up the rear. They met no one all the way to autopsy. The emptiness held a haunting feeling.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Ziva led Ducky and Jenny down the hallway exactly ten minutes since the other group left. Ten minutes since Jethro had kissed Jenny with the love and lust that Jenny had never experienced before. She watched the Mossad officer check around the corner and then motion for her to proceed. She tried to keep her mind on the operation at hand but it kept dragging her back to that moment. Time had stopped for her when his lips met hers. Such a simple kiss, yet it had some much power and thought behind it.

Jenny didn't know how long he had felt this way about her. If she had known, maybe…Maybe what? She wouldn't have pushed him away when she was Director; that she wouldn't have almost died while trying to fake her death; that she wouldn't have decided to have no contact with him? No, she wouldn't have done it any other way. She did all of that for him; to protect him out of the love she had been holding back since two weeks after she left him in Paris. All these years and her love had never changed for him. The only thing that changed was her life and that had been enough to keep them apart.

She had been impressed when neither Tony nor Ziva made any comment when Jethro left about the interaction that had just taken place. Jenny figured Ducky had something to do with his sudden action. Now more than ever she wanted to make sure the people upstairs were finished off this time.

To Tony's surprise they reached Autopsy without incident- it was like no one was in the building but them. Once inside they searched the place just to make sure they were alone. All was going well until he looked into the large supply closet. He cursed at the sight in front of him.

"I'm sorry Ducky," muttered Tony with regret. This prompted the medical examiner to approach the dark closet with caution. There was a body lying spread eagle on the floor with a bullet hole in the center of his head. Jimmy Palmer's empty eyes stared up at the frustrated agent and his mentor.

"Dear Lord," whispered Ducky. Then kneeling beside Jimmy, the older man took his lifeless hand. "I'm sorry, my dear boy. You were really becoming one of the best." Ziva and Tony stood back to give him some room as Jenny knelt also, placing her hand on her friend's back. Her words were shaking as she tried to speak.

"All of this is because of me. First Cynthia and now Jimmy…who knows who else will…" She stopped, taking in a deep breath.

"We know the risks, ma'am." Tony helped his ex-boss to her feet. "And we're willing to take them."

"There's someone coming down the stairs." Ziva shook the tears from her eyes and motioned for Tony to get into position. Poised on either side of the sliding glass doors, they waited guns ready. To their relief, the door to the stairs opened to reveal Gibbs, Tim, and Abby. All three stopped to watch Tony and Ducky move Jimmy to one of the tables. Abby's eyes filled with tears as she let out a quiet sob. Tim took her into his arms, letting her cry as much as she wanted to.

Jenny stood still staring at the scene in front of her. All of these people meant so much to her. She couldn't bear it if they ended up next to that young man. She struggled not to cry as someone approached her from behind. Gibbs handed Jennifer the extra gun in his hand and gently wiped away the tear that was falling down the side of her face, his eyes avoiding the body lying behind her.

**A/N:** Believe it or not, I wrote this whole chapter during my American history and Math classes. Ha. I do have one question for my wonderful readers and reviewers: Should I incorporate any Tiva or McAbby? I don't particularly like McAbby that much even though I could see them together, but I wouldn't mind adding a bit of it if enough of you wanted it. Tiva is one of my favorites, but I don't want to overdo the romance in this one since my primary focus is Jethro and Jenny. Please let me know! Thanks again reviewers! And if any of you want to see anything else in this story, please let me know and I'll see if it will fit into my plan. And trust me there is a plan. Hehe. But I can't spoil that…


	6. Scene 6

**Jenny stood straddling a young man in a black coat whose nose was bleeding profusely. Her gun was pointed straight at his head, his hands held up in a sign of surrender for his gun was laying several feet away. Gibbs holstered his weapon, grinning at the sight of her tangled hair and unleveled appearance. **

Jennifer watched Ducky perform an autopsy on Jimmy Palmer as Timothy and Abigail began to set up the computers. Tony and Ziva were arguing over only God knows what in the corner away from the rest of the group. Sometimes she wondered about them, about whatever relationship they have, had, or will have. But she had other things to worry about.

With everyone busy in their own arts, it left on Jethro in her company. Perhaps it was Jenny's imagination, but the man was too quiet. Granted, Jethro wasn't known for words, but this was different even for him. She knew he was waiting for her to "answer" to his kiss. But she was hesitant to do anything and the only person she could talk to about it was sitting completely silent beside her.

"Jethro?" Any other time she'd simply dive right into asking him what was on his mind, but to be completely honest, Jenny wasn't completely sure she wanted to know what he was thinking. He shifted in his chair, giving her a curious look.

"There was no one standing guard to the director's office," came his simple reply. Not exactly what she expected to come out of his mouth, but this she could handle.

"You think they've already killed him?" Her mind went back into agent mode. "Why wouldn't you be on the look out for us? Or anyone who would want to rescue the Director of NCIS? I have no doubt that the FBI is all over this." Gibbs snorted at this comment.

"Maybe they don't need to worry about anyone coming for him." He raised an eyebrow at her. Jenny knew he was thinking something along the lines of a conspiracy, but then again, that was Agent Gibbs. She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Boss, we might have a problem," shouted Timothy from across the room. Gibbs glared over at him for a bit more information. This wasn't exactly a great time for problems. "Someone is blocking us from mainstream surveillance."

"Well, fix it," growled Gibbs, leaving his rather comfortable chair to go breathe down the necks of his computer geeks.

"It's not broken," pointed out Abby. "We need to sort of get around the person blocking us. Like, have direct access to a camera might help." Gibbs pointed to a camera in the corner by the supply closet. He was a bit agitated now.

"We don't have the correct equipment, but it's in Abby's lab."

Jenny picked up the gun Gibbs had brought her earlier. "What are we looking for?"

"Well, since it's sorta illegal…" started the tattooed forensic specialist.

"Abby! What do we need to get?"

"Ok. This is what you gotta do. It's sorta like a men in black thing. Only the first movie, not the other ones…" Seeing the lack of interest on both faces, she rewound her thoughts. "In my bottom desk drawer on the left hand side, the one with the purple skull on it, there is a large red box. Remove that. Then carefully lift the bottom of the drawer away and…Bam. Medium sized black case with silver locks and such." Jenny, Gibbs, and Tony all started towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked an irate Gibbs. Tony placed his hands up in a surrender position and backed away from the door. Jenny's heart caught in her throat. She wasn't ready to be alone with him yet. All these months away had actually done her some good- given her some time to reflect on her life and what she needed. Jenny had convinced herself that she was content without Jethro's love.

Autopsy wasn't far from Abby's office, but it seemed like forever to Jennifer. She wasn't sure if it was the thought that someone in the building wanted to kill her or if it was Jethro's presence that made her so nervous. Again, they met no one in the hallways and no one was keeping watch over the stairwells or laboratories. Gibbs flicked on the light and made his way to the back of the room.

"Jenny." Even though his voice was barely a whisper, she jumped at the sound of it. His eyes looked at her differently now-he was no longer Agent Gibbs, just Jethro. This was the side of him she was worried about; the part of him she couldn't resist. "Why didn't you call? Or even let anyone know you were still alive? Or maybe just tell us the whole story?"

"That's a lot of questions at once." He smirked, jerking open the bottom drawer. "I guess you deserve some answers, but I'll answer yours if you answer mine." She watched him contemplate this for a moment before agreeing, his eyes never leaving the job he was doing.

"One, the reason I never called. Hmm. Wouldn't it be a bit odd if you were receiving calls from a dead woman? Two, if I died what were you going to do about it? Have another funeral?" She hoped she sounded as sarcastic as she felt.

"And three?" Gibbs unbuckled the latches on a large black case.

"I just figured it all out and apparently someone knew I wasn't dead. Of course, now that the news has picked up on it, the whole world knows I'm not dead. But someone in this building wants to make sure I don't stay this way." She pulled her gun again and started for the door. Checking it she looked back at him. "My turn. Why did you kiss me?" That had been a bit blunter than she intended, but it was out now.

"I thought that would be the most obvious thing I have done in a long time." He picked up the case and met her at the door. He had a point.

"The Jethro I knew in Paris-"

"Would have done the exact same thing." Damn him. How come he was always right?

"Still…"

"And the Jen I knew would have kissed me back." He was next to her now, whispering in her ear. Again, he had hit the hammer right on the nail. The old Jen would have leapt into him in a heartbeat. But not now. She had too much off her life wasted chasing after men. The moment Mike Franks made the comment about Jethro in the diner she promised herself never again would she be hurt by him. Jethro had a way of damaging her- not that he intended to, it just happened.

"I am a completely different person now. Plus, my life is on the balance- I don't have time to romance." She whipped her gun around the corner and motioned him to the stairs.

"Ha. So if I kissed you again, you wouldn't kiss me back?" His blue eyes penetrated her green ones giving her chills.

Jethro knew that she couldn't honestly answer that. It was an unfair question, but then again, it was his turn to ask the questions. He sat the box at their feet and stepped even closer to her, backing her against the wall of the stairwell. He was blocking the only way down, but if she wanted she could go up. Slowly he pinned the arm with the gun behind her, his other hand creeping to her face. Jenny's breath caught as he leaned in for the second time that day. However, a glimpse of black at the top of the stairs beside her caused her to push him violently back and sprint up the stairs.

"Jenny!" Jethro stared after her in shock. He hadn't expected her to bolt. A muffled yell came from where she had just run. A loud thump soon followed. Cursing himself he forgot all about the box and tore off after her. Tearing through the door to the level above Abby's lab he stopped short.

Jenny stood straddling a young man in a black coat whose nose was bleeding profusely. Her gun was pointed straight at his head, his hands held up in a sign of surrender for his gun was laying several feet away. Gibbs holstered his weapon, grinning at the sight of her tangled hair and unleveled appearance.

**A/N:** Ok this is what I've decided. There is going to be a Tiva underlie but no McAbby. Sorry guys. I don't really feel it. Anyway. Next chapter come some answers. Thanks to all my reviewers!


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